The short straddle has a bad rap given it is a strategy with unlimited risk on both sides of the strategy. If you sell a short straddle on a stock, ETF or index and the underlying moves substantially higher or lower, you can see substantial losses. However, it is a strategy that is commonly misunderstood, and in this post we...
Liquidity is a very important factor when trading options as it determines how easy it is to be filled at a competitive price when entering the trade, as well as how easy it is to exit the trade. Volume and open interest tend to be the first things retail traders look at when considering liquidity, but these do not give the...
As an equity investor, we are always seeking investment opportunities to maximize capital appreciation and income. Finding a balance between the two can be challenging and many times have significant tradeoffs. However, you can potentially add income to any equity position with options using two strategies to add an income...
The process to select expiration dates and strike prices for an options strategy is fairly simple, but sometimes counterintuitive. Selecting the optimal expiration dates and strike prices depends on a few factors, however there is an overarching method to selecting them for any strategy. In this post we will analyze expiration...
As the disconnect continues to widen between fundamentals, economics and where equity market valuations, many investors have raised the question, when is it time to hedge the growing downside risks? To help investors answer this question, we explore the mechanics and best practices for seeking downside protection for a...
The Collar strategy is a strategy that allows investors to protect from large downside losses on a stock. This strategy requires the investor to have a minimum of 100 shares of the stock. The Collar strategy can also be considered as a combination of two strategies – writing a Covered Call and buying a Put option. Collars...
Trading options involves selecting from a world of options, which may seem overwhelming at first. With 4 core strategies, buying calls, selling calls, buying puts and selling puts, it’s already a step up in complexity from stock investing and trading. Despite the flexibility that these strategies provide, each has their...
Introduction A covered combination is an often-overlooked options strategy by many investors who may utilize each half of the strategy separately, but never considered combining them. This is a strategy where an investor owns 100 shares of a stock and sells a covered call and a cash secured put at the same time. The motivation...
Investors that are starting to trade options tend to have smaller trading accounts. In this post we will discuss the challenges with growing a smaller options account and the strategies to do so sustainably. While smaller accounts are more challenging to grow, there are best practices and strategies that investors can use for...
Option income strategies can be used to increase the yield of an equity portfolio by generating an income stream and by purchasing stocks at a potential discount. This post will cover which options strategies to use based on your primary goal, how to implement these strategies and how you can instantly scan the entire market...